For the last part of our Newfoundland ‘adventure’ we’re in Gros Morne national park. It’s on the northwest coast of Newfoundland and is so big that anywhere else it would be a ‘continent’, here it’s just a ‘park’.

We left Fogo Island. We jumped on the bargain-of-the-year ferry. Ok, we were the fourth from last car they let on. You can’t book it. They cram about 70 cars on and then it’s full. First come first served. Phew. Fucking massive ‘phew!!!’ Then a quick 5 hour drive (it’s soooooo big here) to the West Coast. And if the rest of Newfoundland is beautiful, which it is, round here is absolutely spectacular. Mountains, inlets, forests, all together. Just ‘wow’, wherever you look.

And so you don’t think we’re on some princessy, tarty ‘excursion’ type, cruise-linery, 5 star trip, I’ve shown you where real people had lunch yesterday. We stopped mid-way to gas up, get a coffee and enjoy our pre-prepared (by us) lunch, in the car, in a rainy gas station car park by a junkyard. Well ‘ard. Newfoundland is sparse in such facilities so when you see one, you stop and use it. It may be 100 miles before the next.

In that gas station, the old hypothesis about island inhabitants reared its ugly head once more. ‘Ipswich syndrome’ is when a fairly isolated population suffers a reduced gene pool, thus enabling recessive traits to become dominant. The two guys in the gas station had that ‘inbred’ feel about them. In that ‘high six!!!’, kind’a way. They were friendly (ish) and helpful, but one or two lightbulbs short of a chandelier. Possibly 3 or 4. I asked how to use the coffee machine, having never previously, in my wide and varied life, bought a self-serve coffee in a Newfoundland gas station. I know; inadequately educated. He looked at me and said: “ ‘ain’t ‘ard”. And he showed me. For which I am grateful. I like coffee. But lovely and friendly though the Newfoundlanders are, and they are, there are many whom you view through a lens of gritted teeth and think: ‘really?’

Having said that, this place is so worth visiting. Even though it’s fucking impossible to get here and the weather’s in the most part, shit.

Am I over-selling it?

Happy Wednesday

A xxxx